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The head of the U.S. diplomatic mission in Cuba, Mike Hammer, visited the young Cuban content creator Anna Sofía Benítez Silvente, known on social media as Anna Bensi, who remains under house arrest with her mother in Havana after being processed by the Cuban regime.
The United States Embassy on the island announced on the social media platform X that the meeting took place in a context marked by restrictions and pressure against the young woman. “It was a great pleasure to finally meet Anna Sofía Benítez and her mother. They told me about their situation and that they are under house arrest,” Hammer expressed in the official message.
The diplomat also highlighted the profile of the young woman, who is only 21 years old, describing her as “brave” for expressing her ideas. According to him, Anna assured him that her only “crime” has been to defend her beliefs, her faith, and her aspirations as a Cuban.
The visit takes place in the midst of a criminal process that has drawn criticism for its repressive nature. Anna Bensi was formally charged on March 25 as a co-author of the alleged crime of "acts against personal privacy," alongside her mother, Caridad Silvente. Both are facing potential sentences ranging from two to five years in prison.
The case originated after a video was circulated on social media, identifying an agent from the Ministry of the Interior who arrived at his home with an official summons. Authorities claim that the publication violated the official’s identity, while the family insists it is an act of retaliation for the young woman's public complaints.
Since then, the harassment has not been limited to the judicial process. The activist has reported a pattern of intimidation that includes interrogations, threats, movement restrictions, and internet outages. She even recently raised concerns about the suspension of her WhatsApp account, which she views as another form of technological pressure aimed at silencing her.
The impact has also been personal. Anna has acknowledged that she has had to pause her regular activity on social media, affected by the tension her family is experiencing. “My conscience doesn't allow me to post a video as if everything is fine,” she confessed in one of her more recent messages.
Despite everything, the young woman has reiterated that she will not be silenced. In the midst of repression, she has maintained her critical discourse against the Cuban system, insisting on her right to express herself freely.
The visit by Hammer introduces a new element in the case, which is already transcending national boundaries and indicates a growing international interest in the situation of the activist. Meanwhile, Anna Bensi continues to be monitored in her own home, becoming another face of the conflict between digital activism and the repressive apparatus in Cuba.
This is not the first time that Hammer has publicly shown his support for activists and families of political prisoners in Cuba. Recently, Hammer spoke with Doris Santiesteban, the wife of the political prisoner Ernesto, and also visited the independent art gallery Lavandería in Havana, where he called for freedom for Cuban political prisoners.
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